In the blink of an eye
by V.S. Bean
Summary: Oneshot. Percabeth AU. They're best friends, but then grow distant after 7th grade. Annabeth learns that prom isn't as bad as she thought it would be. Probably K, but I rated it K plus.


**A/N Yeesh. That took like a while. So far, it's been the most enjoyable to write, so the time definitely paid off. I'm actually pretty proud of this one. Maybe I'll do all my fics in 3rd person from now on. Anyway, hope you like it! **

_**Annabeth **_

Percy Jackson had been her best friend for the longest time. They'd known each other since the first day of first grade, and Annabeth thought he was the most annoying, and the most insufferable human being she'd ever met. After a week of getting to know each other and reciting the alphabet together, a friendship started to form. Play dates occurred often, and they'd go to the playground to run through the sprinklers. By the end of first grade, the two were inseparable. Percy was very much still annoying, and Annabeth had finally mastered the eye roll. Life was okay.

She was starting her sixth grade year. They were the youngsters yet again; stupid, dumb, and irritating. At least that's what the eighth graders said. Relationships were starting, like _dating_. Annabeth was kind of used to it; there were multiple couples last year in fifth grade. She knew she had no chance of ever getting a boyfriend. Who would ever have a crush on Annabeth Chase? The girl who carried a book everywhere she went, the girl who got straight As. Of course, she didn't completely match the stereotype. Annabeth didn't wear glasses, and she wasn't real _timid _or _shy. _If she got upset, a storm was sure to come. Every one who messed with her knew that. Percy had always told her she was like an enigma; she tended to be a little passive aggressive at times.

Junior high was quite different from elementary. From what Annabeth could see, Percy was climbing up the popularity ladder, while she was still at the very bottom. In the hallways, she'd heard a couple of conversations on how "cute" Percy Jackson was. The words "cute" and "hot" made her cringe, mostly because they kind of made her wish she'd like someone. Or that someone would like her. Sometimes people thought that Percy and Annabeth were dating, but they were _so _wrong. The two were just friends, and she was perfectly fine with that. They hung out almost every day, and Annabeth was constantly assisting him with math homework. Despite Percy's many friends begging him to sit with them, the pair stayed with each other at lunch. Annabeth would scold him every time he spilled his milk and he'd retaliate by pushing it all under her tray. Life was decent.

Seventh grade was a nightmare. Did she mention how Percy was climbing up the popularity ladder? Well, he'd finally made it on board the ship. Every single person in their grade knew who Percy Jackson was. Almost every single girl in seventh and eighth grade thought he was "cute". Him being popular lead to their friendship becoming distant. Annabeth didn't ask for this, she tried to prevent it from happening, but some things just can't be stopped. Percy didn't eat lunch with her anymore; he sat with the football boys. She thought that it wasn't a big deal, but then they stopped hanging out, his excuses being _David invited me to his party, and I have to go. Thomas wants me come over later with the boys to play Call of Duty. _It broke her heart, but again, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Annabeth was very wrong indeed. Percy stopped responding to her texts and they didn't walk to school in the morning together anymore, something they'd done since second grade. Everything would be alright; she'd make new friends.

She didn't make any friends. No one was interested in talking to Annabeth Chase. Or maybe it was just because she encased herself in a shell. That was probably it. Over the course of a year, their relationship had gotten to the point where Annabeth heard Percy say, "The girl over there? Blonde curly hair? Yeah, we talked once or twice, but nah, I don't really know her." Her heart was so shattered, that the comment just drove the broken pieces into her foot. It hurt hearing your best friend of six and a half years say that they barely knew you. How had their strong friendship deteriorated so quickly? It all happened in the blink of an eye. Then again, most things in Annabeth's life went like that. Why did life have to be so…_terrible._

Freshman year of high school. It's literally in the name. Annabeth thought she could start on a _fresh_, clean page. Her mind told her to forget about Percy, but it just seemed that the harder she tried, she just seemed to remember him more. That wasn't the way it was supposed to work, was it? She thought about the way his eyes lit up when he smiled or laughed. The way he rubbed the back of his neck when he was nervous. The way he grinned when he was up to no good. Those were all things really only Annabeth knew and paid attention to. Since he was the captain of basically every sports team in middle school, he was in very good shape. Percy was no longer the scrawny little boy who was two inches shorter than herself. He'd become taller, leaner, and more…handsome. Whenever Annabeth thought about him, her heart starting beating just a tad bit faster and her cheeks were tinted beet red. Slowly but surely, she was developing a crush for Percy Jackson. Actually, she'd been crushing on him for years; she was slowly but surely falling in love with him. Annabeth wasn't going to admit it, but she knew that she really couldn't help herself. As they say, you don't decide who you fall for. This was something that upset her. Annabeth was used to finding a solution for everything. Bad day? Try some Seinfeld and a tub of strawberry ice cream. Stressed? Seinfeld and a tub of strawberry ice cream. And a couple of study guides. That would do the trick. Heartache was a term she wasn't familiar with. That was very rare in Miss Chase's case, being the spelling bee champion for seven years in a row and an all honors student. Heartache was also something she refused to admit she had, which meant that she wouldn't find a solution to it. Percy Jackson was really overcomplicating her life. Why did he have to be so…_Percy_? Jeez she was really turning into those seventh grade girls.

Percy waved at her in the hallway. He saw her, smiled and waved. Percy Jackson acknowledged her. Being the clueless girl that she was at that moment, she stared at him and continued walking. Why, oh why was she so stupid? He probably thought she didn't recognize him, or that she was angry at him, or something negative. Little did he know that she went home that day smiling like an idiot. Annabeth turned on her phone and scrolled down to Percy's icon. The last text message she sent to him was two years ago. It had been that long since they'd "separated_"_? Her thumbs glided across the keyboard, and her finger hovered over the small little _send _arrow. She mustered up all her courage and was about to press it when a thought came into her mind, and she hurriedly deleted everything. Percy just thought she was someone else he knew and waved. That was it. End of discussion. God, life was complicated.

Time was passing quickly. Annabeth was already a junior. The Percy Problem still hadn't gone away. And yes, she decided to refer to it as _The Percy Problem_. On the bright side, a new friend came into her life and her name was Piper Mclean. Piper was in fact, a friend of Percy's as well. She was Annabeth's source on all things Percy. She'd told Piper about him since they'd been friends for two and a half years and she completely trusted her. They completely trusted each other.

Percy was dating someone. Her name was Carrie; the head cheerleader. Just like it was in the movies. Annabeth never thought things like that would actually happen; captain of the football team dating the cheerleader. Percy was the captain of multiple sports teams, basketball, swimming, baseball and all that jazz. It didn't seem possible, but he'd gotten even more handsome over the years. Annabeth wasn't one for being cheesy and lovey-dovey like, but she always liked to state the facts. She tried to dislike Percy, she tried to not think about him, but it just didn't work. He was always on her mind. Piper told her that Carrie started to sit with Percy at lunch, and the whole friend group hated her. That meant the whole football team hated her. Percy himself wasn't too fond of Carrie, but she asked him out and he couldn't decline. Piper started to notice that he was always looking around the cafeteria, as if he was looking for someone in particular. Annabeth liked to believe it was her, but what were the odds of that. Nevertheless, she sat as close as possible to him, hoping that he would someday notice her.

She would go home everyday and think about the good times she shared with Percy. Annabeth would look over her text messages, laughing at the funnier ones, and smiling at all of them. Maybe she really was turning into a lovesick teenager. No, she wouldn't allow it. Just one more year of high school and she'd be free of him. She'd go to Harvard and forget about Percy, once and for all. She'd grow up to be an architect, maybe start up her own business and live happily ever after. Piper would be her roommate, and they'd live in a small New York apartment. Piper wanted to start her own fashion line; it would be named _Piper Mclean. _Real original. Annabeth and her were still best friends, and it would stay that way. Life was getting better.

She was already a senior? She was growing up way too fast. Percy and Carrie broke up two months into the school year. From what she'd heard, he couldn't handle being in a relationship. Carrie was heartbroken and decided to get revenge on him by dating his best friend. Now Percy was upset that he'd lost Thomas. The same boy that invited him to a party years before, when he was supposed to watch a movie with Annabeth. He was still the most popular guy in the year. Everyone was on his side, and started to hate Thomas for betraying him. If only they knew what he'd done to Annabeth. She was starting to become hopeless. He would never remember her; it just wasn't going to happen. Shards of her heart were being put back together. Maybe it was because she was slowly getting over him. She didn't blush whenever his name was mentioned, she wasn't thinking about him all day and night, and her heart rate didn't spike whenever she saw him. Perhaps she was falling _out _of love.

Prom was in a week and Annabeth didn't have a date. That was perfectly fine with her; she and Piper would go together as friends. Percy didn't have a date but was seemingly going to ask someone out. Again, Annabeth kind of hoped it was her, but what were the chances of that. According to Piper's information, he'd known the girl for a while now, and has been secretly crushing on her since the day they met. Those details kind of matched Annabeth…

Piper. Percy Jackson asked out Piper Mclean. Her old best friends asked out her new best friend. Of course, he'd known her for a while now, and it was no surprise that he liked her. She was gorgeous, sweet, and kind, but fierce when she needed to be. Piper could've been every guy's dream girl. Being the good friend that she was, she politely declined and immediately let Annabeth know. For some odd reason, it didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. Piper wasn't interested in Percy at all; she was crushing on Mr Jason Grace, one of Percy's best friends. Hopefully he'd ask her out soon. That night, Annabeth went home, sat on her bed and stared at the opposite wall, contemplating her life. Just a couple more months before she'd never have to see Percy again.

She was pulling on her dress, getting ready for prom. It was a gray, silk a-line dress that touched the ground, a few jewels were encrusted around her waist and some decorated the bottom of the skirt, but it was nothing too fancy. It was simple and elegant, something that wouldn't be noticeable. Her hair was twisted into a low bun, and she didn't have any makeup on. Piper and her would probably just sit at the back and watch everyone. Actually, Piper would probably drag her onto the dance floor. Annabeth was a terrible dancer. She'd most likely just trip over her feet and embarrass herself. But what can you do when Piper's your best friend? A honk from outside let her know it was time to go. She stumbled down the stairs and let her dad know she was leaving. Her step-mom tried to grab a camera, but Annabeth was already out the door. While she was tripping over her gown, she noticed that there were other people in the car. Piper wasn't the one driving either. Jason was. And a black-haired, sea green-eyed boy was riding shot gun. Percy Jackson was in the car. She turned on her heel and started back up the driveway, but ended up falling flat on her face. What an entrance and exit. She heard a door open and several laughs. Annabeth stood up and brushed herself off. Piper was next to her, grabbing her wrist and dragging her toward the Cadillac Escalade. Percy was staring straight ahead, as if he was trying to avoid eye contact. She and Piper were in the very back, with a four football players in front of them. A couple of them were whispering and stealing glances back at Annabeth. It was obvious they didn't know who she was, and why she was with them.

Once they reached the school, all eight of them filed out of the car. Piper looked stunning in her pink chiffon gown. It was simple and elegant, just like Annabeth's. A few diamonds spotted the bodice, and some lace designs led down her waist. Her hair was in a braid across her shoulder, and she had a ribbon going through it. Jason came up to her and looped his arm through her's. Piper looked over her shoulder and winked at Annabeth, then walked through the school doors. She hurriedly tried to follow, but yet again ended up tripping over her skirt. She wasn't even in heels. This night was going perfectly.

"Woah there. It's evident you haven't practiced walking in that." Came a voice from behind her. It was strangely familiar. That's because it was Percy's. Normally, a girl would respond by blushing and admitting to it. No, that's not what Annabeth did.

""Evident?" Big word for you, isn't it?" she said. Stupid, stupid her. Why did she have to act like a fool in front of him? It hadn't even registered in her mind that Percy Jackson was talking to her.

He let out a laugh. "You haven't changed a bit. Same, sarcastic you." Now, she was blushing furiously. "I meant that as a compliment by the way." So he'd remembered her. There was absolutely no excuse for him not talking to her. A sudden wave of anger coursed through her.

"Now you say something? After all those years, now you _finally_ say something," she huffed and marched after Piper, thankful that she didn't fall flat on her face. She was happy that he spoke to her just now. She was also angry that he hadn't spoken to her until just now. Yet, she couldn't help but notice how his eyes had a little more _sparkle _in them when he talked to her, how he smiled a little bigger when she responded and how he rubbed the back of his neck when she scolded him. He was nervous when she got upset.

Once Annabeth reached the gym, she made a beeline to the very back, but picked up some soda on the way. Piper didn't come and sit by her. She was probably dancing with Jason or hanging out with her other friends. Going to prom was a huge mistake. She still couldn't get Percy out of her head. Annabeth tapped her knee anxiously, waiting for her best friend to show up. She replayed the scene over and over, hoping that she wouldn't have to ride home with him. She'd much rather walk, even if it meant tripping every ten feet. Finally, she saw him enter and look around. Annabeth turned her back to him, trying to hide her face with her hair, but it was up in a bun. Fashion's stupid anyway, so she took it out. Once she thought the coast was clear, she let out a sigh, sipped her orange Fanta, and turned back around, face-to-face with Percy. She jumped back and spilled her soda all over her dress and his tuxedo.

"You stupid idiot!" Annabeth shouted. The music was blasting so loud, no one around heard her.

"Me? Stupid? That's a new one," he joked. The soda didn't seem to bother him at all. "Listen-"

"_Listen_? No, don't think so. Answer my question first. Why?"

"I truthfully don't know. I guess being popular got to my head. The guys told me to dump you and join them. Maybe it was just the pressure."

She scoffed. "Yeah, right. You've never been pressured in your life. Now, if you'll excuse me." Annabeth stood up to leave, but Percy had his foot on her dress.

"Not so fast, Wise Girl." She froze. That was her nickname from when they were kids. She hadn't heard it since the beginning of seventh grade. In all honesty, she thought he'd forgot it. Slowly, she lowered herself into the seat next to him, turning around so she didn't have to look him in the eye. She was falling back in love. Or, falling more in love. One of the two. Her heart started beating a bit faster, a blush crept onto her face and she just wanted to turn around and…kiss him? No, no, she wanted to turn around and tell him how much she loved him. No, _no, _no, she wanted to leave. Yes. She wanted to leave and never see him again. Maybe.

"I need to ask you something. It's something to do with a girl," he blurted. Why, in the whole wide world, would he come to Annabeth, for advice on a girl? He still hadn't given her a good explanation on why he ignored her for years. _Years,_ and he just popped a question like that? "So, I've liked her for…quite a bit now. I want to ask her out. What should I say?" He was actually being serious.

"Are you out of your mind?" Annabeth whispered.

"Yeah."

"You're really asking me this? I'm not dreaming." She pinched her arm just to make sure. "You've got to be the biggest idiot alive." Even though she was angry, she couldn't help but be a bit flattered.

"I know."

"What's her name?"

"You don't need to know."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't."

They'd talked for literally a minute and a half, and they were back to bickering like an old married couple. Perhaps they _were_ meant for each other.

"I need to know, so I can tell you exactly what to do!"

"No."

Why was he so much like first grade Percy? Insufferable and annoying. "Just tell her. If you're too big of a wimp to admit you like her, just don't say anything. Kiss her, and walk away. Ha, that sounds like something you would do."

"Are you sure?"

"If a boy did that to me, I'd hate him so much, I may as well just like him. I mean, what boy would even _think _about crushing on-" He leaned in, kissed her, and walked away. Percy Jackson just kissed her. Percy Jackson just walked away. Percy Jackson liked her. Life was great.

Annabeth didn't just sit and stare at the wall for the rest of the night. That was Percy's job. Her emotions were almost overbearing. Confusion, happiness and the occasional feeling of anger clouded her mind. For once in her life, she couldn't really processwhat had happened; just like how she couldn't find a solution to _love. _It was extremely irritating how this natural feeling didn't have a formula to solve it. This wasn't algebra, where she could just plug a number into an equation and find what x equals. This wasn't science, where she could just use the speed triangle. This was very different.

Piper came running up to Annabeth, looking breathless, but still _quite _energetic. She was grinning widely, and her hair was an absolute mess.

"Piper, you ready to go?" She already knew the answer to that.

Piper looked at her like she was being ridiculous. "No way! What, are you?"

"It's getting a little boring." Annabeth admitted, "Is Jason ready?"

"As long as I'm here, he's here. I can get Percy to drive you back, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

There was no way she was going to be in the same car as him; the level of awkwardness would go through the roof. "Nah, I'll stay."

Piper winked at her. "I'll go ask him. He'd be happy to!"

"No! Piper, don't you dare."

"I _do_ dare. It'll be fun!"

She tried to grab her wrist and stop her from walking away, but her stupid dress just made her trip and fall into the row of chairs in front of her.

"I'll let him know where you are! And, by the way, don't try to sneak out. Jason's keeping an eye on you," Piper called over her shoulder, sure enough, Jason was standing in the corner, waving. You may think that she's a really bad friend, but a little part of Annabeth was glad she was doing this. The other part was fuming.

She sat back down in her chair and waited for Percy to show up. All the possible scenarios were going through her head. Most of them were bad. Less than a minute later, he came wandering over, looking very embarrassed. She tried to sound confident and annoyed. Hopefully it worked.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Look who's back."

"Me."

"Just don't crash the car." Annabeth took him by the sleeve of his jacket and dragged him out of the school. It wasn't hard to spot the SUV they came in. She hopped into the passenger seat, and buckled up. When he started the car, and turned onto the main road, she noticed the right side of her dress was tugging. She'd shut the door on it. This was one of the scenarios. Annabeth yanked on it, not even caring if it ripped. "Stupid dress. This is why I wear a t-shirt and shorts."

Percy let out an uptight laugh. "Same old, same old. Listen, can you please say something about tonight?"

Her heart was beating double time. She was really hoping he wouldn't ask this question. "What is there to say? You like me, I like-" She froze. That wasn't supposed to come out. She whispered a curse that was muffled by the honking. You can use your imagination on that one.

"You like…continue. You like me?"

"No."

"Annabeth, I've known you long enough to tell when you're lying."

She scoffed. "You haven't talked to me in like, over four years. I could've changed a lot."

"You haven't."

"How do _you _know?"

"I've been watching you."

Her heart skipped a beat. Did he just say that he had been watching her? "You've been _what_ now?"

"I've been watching you. I've liked you since literally first grade."

"Then why'd you leave?"

"I really don't know."

"That's your answer for a lot of things."

"I guess I'm just really stupid."

"You're not wrong."

"Why are you making this so hard?" He whined. She smirked. Perhaps she was coming off as confident and annoyed after all.

"Because you've made my life this hard for the past four years."

"For the past _over _four years."

"That's not the way to say it."

"Whatever! So, you like me?" She couldn't keep it to herself anymore. At least he'd made it easy on her. Percy couldn't exactly reject her now that he'd told her he liked her.

"Yeah. That's my house up there."

"You do?"

"That's not the way to say it."

"Huh?"

"You're supposed to say, _Okay, I'll let you out here._"

"No, no. You like me?"

"Yes. I don't like repeating myself. See you later." She opened the door and promptly tripped over the ripped hem of her dress. Percy let out a laugh, and came around to help her up.

"You're not going inside. You can't leave me like this."

"Oh, but I can."

"I'm not allowing you to."

"Is that so? Well, watch me." She started to tromp up the driveway, but Percy's hand caught her's and he spun her around.

"I have been."

"Don't be smart."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." He swiftly picked her up and kissed her. This time, she melted into his arms, completely blocking out her surroundings. It was the best feeling in the entire world. There was really no other way to describe it. When he finally pulled away, she looked up at him and tilted her head to the side. "That's not the way to say it."

"What?"

"I don't like repeating myself. I said: _That's not the way to say it._"

"What do you _mean_?"

"That's not the way to say _Alright, see you Monday._"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Say it again. Without the eye roll, and I might say yes."

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Hm. Alright."

"I love you."

"Moving a bit fast there, aren't we?"

"Sorry."

"Love you, too." She turned on her heel and walked up to her back door. Not without tripping and falling first. What a perfect way to start and end prom. Life was awesome.

Annabeth graduated from Harvard. She achieved her dream. In the morning, she was set to fly back to New York to see Percy. They would move in together, along with Piper and Jason. She'd found a roomy loft that was perfect for the four of them. She was going to be an architect, Piper was a fashion designer, and Jason was planning on being an astrophysicist. Percy couldn't remember the exact name of his new profession, so he hadn't really changed all that much. Still, she was falling more in love with him by the day. They'd been dating for over seven years now, but she preferred to just say _past seven years_. It saved her breath. Percy would always tut and "correct" her by saying _past over seven years. _Everything was going well. Life was perfect.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. Then again, most things in Annabeth's life went that way.

**A/N How'd I do? Tell me in a review! Yeah, there's a bit of dialogue in the last chapters :( Hope you enjoyed! Until next time...**

**Love,**

**V.S. Bean **


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